Waseem dejected over lack of financial assistance

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Mohammad Waseem who was the first boxer to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver flyweight title defeating Jether Oliva of the Philippines in Seoul last month is dejected over the lack of response from the Boxing federation and the government.

“No one from the ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination and the Pakistan Sports Board [even] bothered to recognise my victory,” lamented Waseem while addressing a news conference here.

The boxer said that he tried several times to meet the PSB director general Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera but the meeting never took place. He added that support from the corporate sector and government will help him progress and he will win more title hopefully.

“I was told by the staff of DG that he is not in office,” Waseem said.

“The financial help [from government and sponsors] will not only help me achieve personal glory, but also earn a good name for my country,” he stated.

Waseem said that he had won three professional fights in Korea and a Korean promoter Andy Kim had been sponsoring him and bearing all his expenses.

“I’m a Pakistani, not Korean; [so] why is my government not providing me the required patronage?” he wondered and added that Korea had offered him nationality but he would not accept it.

“Come what may, whether or not they [government] support me I will always represent Pakistan at international level,” he pledged.

“It’s a very painful situation, indeed,” Waseem said. “I will try my best to change this gloomy scenario.”

Waseem needs Rs30 million assistance so that he can compete with Nicaragua’s Roman Gonzalez in his next fight in November in the US.